On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the administration to end its deployment of National Guard troops. 

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb concluded that the military takeover of Washington, D.C., unlawfully intruded on local authorities to direct law enforcement in the district, the Associated Press reports. 

The ruling sides with D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General and stated that the administration has “exceeded the bounds of [its] statutory authority” after requesting National Guard assistance from other states.

In Cobbs’ opinion, she wrote that this deployment caused “irreparable harm to its sovereign powers under the Home Rule Act, which are being usurped by Defendants’ unlawful actions.” 

On Aug. 11, an executive order was issued after a crime emergency was declared. Soon after, more than 2,300 National Guard troops from eight states were seen patrolling the city. Federal agents were also sent in to assist.

“From the beginning, we made clear that the U.S. military should not be policing American citizens on American soil,” said D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb in a statement on Thursday. “It is long past time to let the National Guard go home — to their everyday lives, their regular jobs, their families, and their children.”

The ruling, however, was also put on hold for 21 days — giving the higher court the chance to rule on an administration appeal. Although Cobbs’ order is not a final decision, it’s a significant legal victory in the fight for local officials to regain control over their district.